Case study: Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) Fibre expanding to small towns and urban fringe

The UFB public-private partnership model has been highly successful for supporting the delivery of fibre networks across Aotearoa New Zealand. Launched in 2010, the original roll-out targeted high-density areas but has been expanded to reach smaller towns several times (UFB, UFB2, UFB2+), so that small and/or isolated towns now have access to fibre broadband.

A mass of cables of various colours.

In late 2021, the Rural Capacity Upgrade (RCU) programme included a further extension of fibre networks into smaller towns via Crown funding.

Haast is one of the most remote West Coast towns in New Zealand to benefit from UFB. The inclusion of Haast for UFB fibre has been enabled by construction of a high-capacity regional fibre link between Fox Glacier and Lake Hāwea. With UFB rolling out to more towns in rural areas, some of New Zealand’s

biggest sectors including agriculture and tourism, will benefit greatly from the improvements that better connectivity offers.

In addition, for urban fringe and new development areas, fibre is being added on a commercial basis due to widespread recognition of the benefit it provides. For areas with new subdivisions, property developers themselves are incorporating it into developments. One such developer, Yeoman Property Group, says their decision to design and build all developments with access to fibre puts it in a great position.

“Fibre broadband is all people want now,” says managing director Andrew Yeoman.

Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) will be available to more than 1.8 million premises by the end of 2022. Chorus is the largest fibre company, operating nationally and accounting for 69.4% of the UFB network. Local Fibre Companies (LFC) account for the remainder, with Tuatahi First Fibre at 13.7% (covering Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Tauranga, Tokoroa, New Plymouth, Hawera and Whanganui), Enable with 15.3% (Christchurch and Rangiora), and Northpower with 1.6% (Whangārei).